Louis van Gaal hits out at reports linking Jose Mourinho with Manchester United

Louis van Gaal believes it is ridiculous that Jose Mourinho is being linked with Manchester United

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has hit out at all the speculation regarding his position at the club, and also labeled rumours of Jose Mourinho replacing him as an ‘absolute scandal.’ Van Gaal has had a tough second season at United, with the club out of the top four positions in the league and playing in the Europa League after getting knocked out of the Champions League.

Speaking to TV channel RTL7, ahead of his team's Premier League encounter against Arsenal, the Dutchman said, according to multiple sources, “[Mourinho] has said things a number of times with a lot of words. But he does not have to tell me anything. I find the whole thing ridiculous.”

He added, “No, I don't want United to do something either. I don't even want them to react to things which I read in the media or which are being created. We, the club and I, are not going to help the media right now by denying things. I think what is happening is an absolute scandal."

Van Gaal has been under a lot of pressure to deliver results for the team, what with them stumbling from good positions to give points away. The high number of injuries suffered by important players in the team has not helped his cause, with the Dutchman having to lean on a lot of young, academy graduates, who have rewarded his faith in them with good performances, most recently in United's 5-1 win over Midtjylland that helped them move to the round of 16 in the Europa League.

It has been touted that Louis van Gaal will be the next Premier League manager to be fired and that former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who recently was sacked by the club in his 2nd spell as manager there and who worked with Van Gaal at Barcelona, will be his replacement.

“Team morale best I've seen at the club”

Van Gaal also suggested that the team morale is very high after their progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals and round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League this week. He said, "I have never seen the dressing-room like this. Not only the players who played, but those on the bench and also those who are injured, they were all there laughing and talking with each other and happy."

The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has blooded a lot of youth in his time and has given chances to many youngsters this season at the Old Trafford club, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Joe Riley, Guillermo Varela, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, the latest sensation, who scored two goals on his debut for the club against Midjtylland.